Abutment for vehicle-springs.



J. F. GOOUWIN.

ABUTMENT FOR VEHICLE SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.2. 1911.

Patented June 4, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

fizvenion' J. F. GOODWIN.

ABUTMENT F.0R VEHICLE SPRINGS.

AP'PucATlon FILED AUG.2. I917.

Patented June 4, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a 6 V w M W w W 1V. i a. i M0 6 lnvenian' M B W ED PATENTDFFIGE.

JOHN F. GOODWIN', OF CI-IARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

' 'ABUTMENT ron VEHICLE-SPRINGS.

To all whomz't may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Goonwrma citizen of the United States, residing at Charlestown, in the county of Sufiolk' and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Abutments for Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is'a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention resides in mean whereby an abutment may, through the movements of a foot clutch pedal and a hand control gear shifting lever, employed in starting or stopping, say, an automobile, be moved into or out of operative position, in relation to the spring.

- It is particularly adapted for use with vehicles whose supporting springs, may be adjusted to various loads; and is designed to preventthe vehicle body from' settling down too low'in relation-to the axle, if, for any reason, the springsshould happen to be adjusted for a load less than that placed upon; the vehicle body, and hence its supportingsprings.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention, and the bestm'ode now knownto me, of embodying the'same in operative structure, 7

Figure 1 is an elevation showing my invention, and so much of an automobileas constitutes the environmentof my inven- Figk2 is a plan thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4c are respectively, a front and an end elevation, in enlarged detail, of that portion of my invention employed in operating an abutment or jack in limiting'the depression of the vehicle body due to overloading the vehicle springs having a pre-'- which I have actually used my invention,

is described in United States Letters Patent, No. 1,167,054 issued to William E; Eastman, January 4,1916, but my invention is not necessarily limited to that style of" spring.

A chassis 1,-Figs. 1= and-2, issupported Specification of Letters Patent.

by spring-apparatus 2 operatively connected to the chassis and the Wheel axle 3, in any well-known manner." 7

"In a pair of cars 4: upon the top of, and integralfwith, a collar5 fixed to the axle, is a jack member 6 pivoted at its bottom portion,-and designed to be, normally, in a vertical position. Its base portion has a forwardly extending block 7 which allows a limited forward movement of the jack before the'block engages the axle. WVhen upright, the free end of the jack lies directly belowa shoulder 8 fixed to a lever 9 which, for all practical purposes'may be considered as 'fixed to the chassis.

"Obviously, if the spring is given the propentension for a predetermined load,

Patented June 4, 1918. l Application filed Augta 2,1917. Serial No. 184,035. i

the relative positions of the shoulder 8 and other words, if the springsare adjusted for the vehicle to carry three persons, and siX suddenly pile in, before the tension required for six persons, is given to the springs, the chassis excessive downward movement will be limited by the stop and jack, and the operator will be given a chance to give the springs the tension needed for six passen-' Nowit is necessary that this jack should be in operative position only while the vehicle is standing still, and that it should be inoperative when the vehicle is moving; and it is my purpose to bring about these conditions by utilizing. only those movements required of an operator in starting or stopping his automobile so that he will have to give no thought to the position of the jack. 1 A corresponding jack 6 is similarly arranged on the 'axle on the opposite side of the chassis, and has a similar shoulder 8 that it may engage. The jacks'are operated simultaneously,by a cross bar 10 rotatably mounted in the two opposite side frames of the chassis, and having a pair of arms 11 depending from and fixed to the cross bar;

these respectivearms being operatively connected to their respective jacks-by links 12. To givemove'ment to the cross bar, ithas a depending arm 13 fixed to it and-having-- pivoted to its free endportion, a connecting link 1 1 which, in turn, is pivoted to the long arm 15 of the jack operatinglever' 16, forming part of. the mechanism I will now-- describe.

This'jack operating lever 16, Figs. 3 andv a, is pivoted to the side'ofthe' transmission casing 17 containing the shifting gears em ployed inchanging the speeds of the automechanism 'drivingthej wheels of the ve hicle. A spring'27 alwaystendstof move the jack lever 16, connecting links :12, 14, and jacks 6"rearwardly,"and thusftophold the'jacksin upright 'position;fthe}blocl{ IZ on each jack engaging the axle, f and limit mg the re r ard mo ernent of the jaek.

' Alocking lever- 28; Figs."3' and', 4, has its end portion pivoted to a} bracket 29' fast the casing 17 and isjmova'bl'e 'in' a'pIane at right angles tothat of'th'e jacki 'operating lever 16,-andfis retained therein by a: guide slot 30', Fig,2,'in thebracket 31. About midway its length is piv'o't'edithe" shouldered pivoted lock bolt 21'] 'whi chfipasse's through a hole irrthe bracket 29, and, asfalreafdy stated, fnorni'ally engagesthe inside face of ing suchthaflwhen the bolt ooines into 'aline ment with; and moves into,- the' slot 20; the shoulder engages' the rear face fof the bracket. "A coil spring 38- comi"ected"to the bracket, and the "locking lever 28 tends to pullthezlatter, and hence the lock bolt 21- toward the jack "operating lever 16." The free end "portionof the "locking 1everex tendsupwardly, and to it, ispivoted a dog 34; "flexibly movable in the plane of movement f the} levei'fjby reasonfo'f afiat, spring 35 i'wh'ich engages the rear "plane surface of the dog. The forward face 36 of thefdog' is curved f upwardly" and 'rearward'lv, while its rear'face 37 is aplane. ,1 To, the hand controlled lever 38,, i' s'ffixe'd n nl' c i 'ifi r 1 Figs? 3 .a fif s wh h, while? thefcar is standing still, has ifflfree end port ion lie' in front of the curved-sur face 36 ofthe dog34; on the'loclcleve r 28l @A s vW ls. 1i fii s ld, t m n lyiop-r -f fl e? hi ti g l er 38', myibemeved not only forward and back, on either side of its normal position, but also crosswise in-the plane of movement of the lockingebolt lever through "its *normal position. I See dotted lines-in Figs. 3 and 4:- It is=alsocto be'remernbered that this lever has some play to the right and left of nornialp'd-siti-on 38, Fig. 4, which is not enough,

however, to have any effect upon the gear 'shifting- A spring device 60, taking-ad vantage of, this. freeplay, isprovided, tending to movethe lever to the left, and hence cause the finger -39;-to-;engage theftohtiface 36- of1the"dog 34,-and remove, the 50111521 from the slot 20;, against the tension of the spring 3,3., i This device consists. of a bracket 6 1 ,-fixed to ljllSwSllttIldflI'd 62,-and h'avingpivoted to; it,";by ;-mea11 SzOf; a hall ,and socket joint, a rod 63 the ,free end; of which loosely slides in a slot, formed ,i-na second-bracket 64L, operatively secured to the; gear shifting l fi 4 A..coilzs'p ing 16 ismounted upon this rod, andcompressed betweensaid brackets,; so -.that.=t he spring tends to: cause the le-. verg38 to move toward thewpositionf 38 Fig. This; spring is. flzof sufiicient -strength to overcomethe1opposingspring 33, and, when r the lever is left, in normal position byi the operator, movesend {holds the bolt 2110115 of engagement with the slot 20 in -.the" jack :le-

will now: describe-I the-operation of my invention. The engine is running. 1 The"op'- erator, is ready. to start the car;;; he learning that it ip operly leaded; haszlio thought ofthe j acks. ,l The parts are 'all =-in the=.-po-, sitions shown in Figs. 1 and-:QQEHe 1is-in-; tent-upon starting-the, ear, and goes throirgh the f usual;- ..operati;o,ns. 5 ..,-He ,presses forward the: clutch pedal 26, Eig. 1 in so 3 doing" the:

roll 23 on the arm 24 of thepedal,1engages h un su-rfw 1 2' of he fO 'Wa Id'PlOjGCting pjortio n;- of the -'j ac];i operating lever: v16- h ae rt rm 11-1 mQ e w arWardIy, -1 and:

the long arm 15 forwardly, thereby, through:v the connectlng l1nk1s-12 ajnd 14, moving-each ae}: forward-.;out{of, the verticaL path! of *its respective shoulder 23;: until it ,is sw ped by theblock 7 onither-basegof the jajclnl; But-as the short; arm :18 oft hej ack operating lever 16 1 moves rear-wardly',-. 158*;10011; slot; 2,0 "comes,

into: a i 6m n ;with the end 0f,-thelock bolt 21, which has been pressing? against the imnerlfaceofnthe short arm 18, by the spring slot the? spring causing-the r ear-,end 5 ofw-the;

in, 'Fig. 3. j Meanwhile ;;the.= operatorz-fihas manually, unmoved the -;c,ontrollever 38, I Eig. 4, frornf normal position tdthe rightuto po-f slt on 38 Fig @and .2 then to the K rear, into" slot to bear againstvthelock boltas is- 'h w fir t pe d p s n-@93 F ghe ear. be-r the control lever, the finger 39 being justin;

Fig. 5, in path40. When the control lever .38 .is pulled rearwardly, the finger moving forward in path 41, to position I,: for-first speed,.; in ajplane in front of the dog of the locking bolt lever.

-Inchanging from lowspeed to. second speed the clutch pedal 26 is again pressed forward, and the control lever 38 also moved forward tomid-position 38, Fig.3, and 38 Fig. 4, thus returning and leaving the finger, by path 42,-Fig. 5, in front of the, dog. The control lever is then moved transversely through normal position 38, Fig. 4, andthe finger 39=engages thecurved surface 36,.of the dog, forces the dog and the lo ck;lever inwardly, along path 43, Fig. 5, to normal position N, thus withdrawing the lock bolt 21, Figs. 3 and 4.from the slot .20, which remains in alinement with thebolt, because of' the engagement of the roll 23 of the clutch pedal 26, with surface 22'of' the jack operating lever 16. The movement of the control lever is continued to the left, across neutral position, to position 38 Fig. 4, the finger still engaging the curved face of the dog and forcing the lock lever 28 into position 28 the lever is then moved forward to position 38 Fig. 3, the finger following path 44 and 45, to speed positlon II Fig. 5, disengaging the do and the bolt 21, again being snapped by the spring controlled lock lever, into the slot 20 held in alinement with the bolt, by the clutch pedal 26. The plane of the next movement of the finger is now behind the dog.

Should the third or high speed be required, the clutch pedal is pressed forward, as before, and the control lever pulled rearwardly in the same plane, through and past mid-position, to position 38 Fig. 3, 38

Fig. 4, thus carrying the finger forwardly in path 46, in the same plane, but at the rear, of the dog, to position III, Fig. 5.

Now to stop the car, when the gearing is set for second or third speed, the clutch pedal is moved as usual, the jack operating lever remaining locked; and the control lever moved forwardly or rearwardly as the case may be, to mid-position and then transversely to normal position; the finger 39 returning by paths 46 or 47, and 48, Fig. 5, to a point in front of the dog, when it engages the latter and moves the bolt 21 out of the slot 20 as already explained. The jack lever 16, being freed, snaps the jack member 6 into a vertical position to engage the shoulder 8, Fig. 1, should an excessive load be placed upon the chassis after the automobile had stopped.

It will be observed that in all of the for ward, and the back movements of the control lever, the unlocking finger has passed both in front and behind the dog on the locking lever, and that in stopping the :car, when the gears. areset for second speed, the control-lever, instead of being moved rearward to the high speed position, is stopped at mid-position. and moved into neutral position with the same results'as were obtained by moving forward from high position and then into-neutral position.

.When the control lever is moved into position to reverse the-movement of the automobile, that is from position. 38, to position 38 38 ,.Figs1, 3 -and4, the path described by finger is 49, 50, to reverse position R; the lock bolt 21 snapping into the slot 20, upon the movement of the pedal and the control lever, in a way already pointed out. To stop the car, the control leveris moved rearward to-mid-position and returned to normal, the finger returning by path-51, Fig. 5, in front ofthe dog, and then by path 52, moving the dog and lock lever and the bolt inward, thereby unlocking the jack lever, as in the case of stopping the car when the gearing is'set at first speed; and allowing the jack to assume operative position, and the lock bolt to press against the inner surface of the jack lever, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is to be noted again, that when the operator leaves the control lever in normal position 38, the spring device 60 through the action of its spring 64, at once moves and holds lock bolt 21 out of engagement with its corresponding slot 20 in the jack lever 18, and allows the latter, by means of its spring 27, to move the jack into vertical operative position.

In fine, the jacks have assumed inoperative and operative positions respectively, upon the starting and the stoppage of the car, by the ordinary and necessary movements of the pedal and the gear shifting lever; and with the operators thoughts directed only to starting and stopping the car.

Having described the construction and operation of the features of my invention, and desiring to protect the same in the broadest manner legally possible,

What I claim is:

1. In an automobile, a foot pedal, and a hand lever, operated in connecting and disconnecting the motor shaft from the driven mechanism; an abutment movably mounted between the automobile body and one'of its axles; a lever operatively connected therewith; the forward movement of the pedal moving said lever and causing said abutment to move out of position to be engaged by said body; a spring operated lock bolt to engage said lever and hold it and said abutment out of operative position; and means whereby a movement of the hand lever will release said lock bolt, and permit it to engage said lever and hold said abutment out of operative position; and a movement of the hand lever through normal position, 

